160 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Carbolic acid is a white crystalline substance, distilletl from 

 coal, that mixed with sulphurous acid makes the best deodorizer 

 and disinfectant combined that has ever been discovered. Mr. 

 Crooks has proved its capability of utterly destroying all virus. 

 In one of his experiments he dipped one piece of putrid meat in 

 chlorine, and one in carbolic acid. Both were deodorized, but the 

 smell returned iii ten hours to that treated with chlorine. He 

 then coated a piece of fresh meat with carbolic acid, kept it ten 

 weeks, soaked it a short time in water to dissolve the coating, and 

 then cooked and ate the meat, which was as fresh and sweet as 

 though just from the butcher. 



Mr. S. Edwards Todd said he had proved that coal-tar used in 

 considerable quantity in the privy created a more sickening smell 

 than the contents without tar. It may answer if immediately 

 cleaned out. 



Lupine. 



Mr. Samuel Carpenter, Ocean county, N. J., inquires if he can 

 grow lupins as a fertilizer for sandy land. 



It is so used extensively in Euroj^e, particularly in Portugal. 

 Its growth is rapid, and like clover, it draws alkali from the sub- 

 soil. It is considered admirably adapted for enriching sandy 

 soils. It is a leguminous plant, tibrous-rooted, perennial. It is 

 not as good as clover for hay, and for some reason has been but 

 little grown in this country. 



Insects from Wisconsin. 



Mr. C. H. Greenman, Milton, Rock cfumty. Wis. — "I send a 

 piece of limb of soft maple, covered on the under side with what 

 we call bark lice. All the limbs on the trees are in the same way, 

 and the trees are failing. What can we do to rid the trees of this 

 pest, which is new to us? We arc all interested in this prairie 

 country, where thousands of these trees are planted yearly. The 

 lona and Israella grape-vines are all dead, as far as [ can learn, 

 in this section. Mine, three years planted, are dead, root and all. 

 Delaware, Concord, Rogers's Hybrid (Nos. 9 and 13) are all right ; 

 Hartford, Allen's Hybrid, and most other sorts, are more or less 

 injured. " 



Dr. Trim1)le. — This is one of the multitude of bark lice which 

 aflfcct various trees, but do not destroy them. We see them here 

 very common some years, and the next year none. This cottony 

 substance which you see attached to the limbs contains the eggs. 



